


flowers make the heart grow stronger

by kissgirls



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Becoming a confident person, F/F, Flowers, Fluff, Self Confidence, Self Confidence Issues, florist kiyoko, i love yachi hitoka, soft lesbians, starry eyed yachi, waitress yachi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-15 00:42:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14780402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissgirls/pseuds/kissgirls
Summary: Yachi Hitoka is not a confident person. But Shimizu Kiyoko, the florist across the street from her work, makes her want to become one. So why not?





	flowers make the heart grow stronger

**Author's Note:**

> for @gilly in the haikyuu server!!! here's your gift!!! i had more time for this and new exactly what i wanted to do lol i hope you enjoy!!!

Sometimes, Yachi Hitoka feels so nervous, she’s afraid her heart will burst out of her chest and run away, down the street and two countries over, leaving her behind and killing her. Luckily, this never happens, but it doesn’t help that a flower shop opens up across from the restaurant where she works and that the owner is a  _ very _ pretty woman that makes her knees buckle and face burn.

Hitoka, needless to say, is very weak for pretty ladies. She is also very weak for pretty ladies surrounded by flowers.

God. One day, Hitoka is just going to keel over from nerves and die. She just hopes that when the hospital she was taken to regretfully informs her mother and friends, they’ll put her in something nice for her funeral and miss her dearly.

Hitoka finds out about the new flower shop across the street on a Tuesday- a normal Tuesday, actually, and not one of the crazy ones where she’s rushing around. The ‘ _ for sale’ _ sign that was once draped across the front of the storefront was being taken down while Hitoka was in the middle of her shift. She leaned in hesitantly to Hinata Shouyou, her coworker and beloved best friend, and whispered to him quietly.

“What’s going on?” She asks him quietly, trying to look like she was actually working beside him, totaling up a customer’s receipt. Shoyou shrugged.

“I think someone finally bought it,” he replies, louder than she was and not bothering at all to look busy. Shouyou has always been more confident- or oblivious, Hitoka’s not exactly sure- than her. Everyone loves him, though, so he can get away with a few things that Hitoka can’t. “I heard it’s going to be a flower shop.”

“A flower shop?” She inquires. “Who did you hear that from?”

“Kageyama,” he replies, as if he hasn’t been insulting and internally at war with the guy since high school.

Hitoka’s eyebrows raise. “Eh?”

Shouyou doesn’t give out an explanation- he never does. He probably assumes that Hitoka already knows, and Hitoka’s not sure how to tell him she’s not a mind reader. He just nods at her, as if this is totally normal. “Yeah, apparently a really pretty lady bought it. Kageyama knows her, though he didn’t say how.”

Hitoka hums thoughtfully. She spots the assistant manager, Iwaizumi Hajime, in the corner of her eye, and curses, finishing up the customer’s receipt. She gives Shouyou a rushed ‘see you later’ and hurries away, heart racing, but Iwaizumi doesn’t even give her a glance. He only notices her because she accidentally bumps into him trying to scoot past in between two tables that were  _ way _ too close together. They both apologize, Hitoka profusely over and over under her breath, and him politely, but curtly. Hitoka makes it back over to her table and places down the receipt in record time.

\---

She doesn’t see the pretty lady until the shop is set up a month or two later, looking nice and pretty. Hitoka admires that it’s up so quickly- it’s been unused for over two years, and yet still up so fast.

Work is slow that day- it’s a Thursday night without any specials or any big events that night. There’s a birthday celebration that comes by around four, and Hitoka brings out a special birthday dessert for them.

Not long after that, Hitoka finds herself immersed in conversation with Shouyou over sports- volleyball specifically- when something flashes out of the corner of her eye. She looks, purely out of distraction, and sees her.

Hitoka can’t form words. Hell, she can’t even  _ breathe _ .

The woman in question stands on the sidewalk, gloves on her hands and holding a flower pot. She has long, black hair pulled back into a bun and skinny, black frames resting on a pretty nose. Hitoka can’t see her eyes from here, but she imagines they’re alluring up close. She’s  _ very _ pretty, and Hitoka would be dropping to her knees if it weren’t for the fact that she’s leaning against the wall. The woman reaches to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, and Hitoka feels like dying.

Could all death’s be this heavenly?

Fingers snap in front of her face, and someone shakes her shoulder harshly. “Yachi? Yachi!”

Hitoka blinks and focuses on Shouyou, who looks concerned for her. She smiles sheepishly and her face gets redder. “Sorry, I just…”

Her eyes trail back to the window, where the woman kneels and sets up some kind of stand lined with flower pots bursting with flowers. A sigh escapes her and Shouyou giggles a little. He’s looking at the pretty lady too, eyes lit with an understanding. He looks back at Hitoka and pats her shoulder with a big smile. “Careful,” he jokes, “or you’ll start drooling!”

Hitoka wipes her mouth hurriedly and, upon finding nothing, glares at him, but it has no effect. He giggles more the harder she glares, and Hitoka curses her childish face.

“Leave me alone,” Hitoka complains, looking back out the window pointedly. Her eyes land on Pretty Lady again as if her eyes and the sight of Pretty Lady are opposite sides of two magnets. Shouyou complains and grabs onto her arm, shaking it slightly.

“Yachi,” he drags out like a kid. Hitoka hides a grin and pointedly keeps her face away from him. “Yachi, forgive me!”

Hitoka watches as Pretty Lady wipes her hands on her jeans and airs out her t-shirt, getting rid of any dirt on it. She watches, entranced, as Pretty Lady disappears inside, only to reappear through one of the windows, and forgets about Shouyou for a second.

“Her name is Shimizu Kiyoko,” Shouyou supplies helpfully, giggling again as Hitoka jumps back into focus. 

Hitoka’s face is going to end up permanently red at some point. ‘Hey, how did your face get permanently red?’ someone would ask her. ‘Oh, my best friend was being a jerk who wouldn’t stop teasing me!’

“How did you find that out?” Hitoka chooses to say instead of the embarrassing ‘ _ I think I’m in love _ ’ that wants to escape her. “Kageyama again?”

Shouyou nods excitedly. “Yeah. He said to tell you that she’s also into women.”

Hitoka turns so fast, she could get whiplash. Her face is so warm, she could cook an egg on it. “He said  _ w-what _ ?!”

Her so called best friend busts into giggles and Hitoka wants to hide her face in embarrassment. So she does, in the palms of her hands.

“I can’t believe you told him,” she groan into her hands. “What kind of best friend betrays their best friend like that?”

Shouyou consoles her, assuring her that Kageyama wouldn’t tell anyone, and Shouyou wouldn’t tell anyone else (which she kind of doubts, but doesn’t say anything) and that, if she wants to, he’d buy her ice cream on the way back home to make up for it. Hitoka begrudgingly agrees, but on the inside, she pumps her fist and screams ‘score!’ as loud as she can inside of her head.

When Shouyou leaves as new customers start to flood in with the six o'clock rush, Hitoka pauses at the window. Pretty Lady stands in the store, checking over flowers and other things in the shop.

“Shimizu Kiyoko,” Hitoka tries out. She likes the way it feels to say her name. She tries not to grin too hard.

“Yachi! You’re needed!” Comes Shouyou’s naturally loud voice. Hitoka hurries away from the window, tugging on her restaurant uniform to make sure it’s nice and neat as she does.

\---

In the next few day, the flower shop-  _ Beauty In Petals- _ opens their doors for the first time.

By that time, it becomes a normal thing- Hitoka glancing out windows, hoping to catch glimpses of Shimizu during her shift. Hitoka starts looking forward to work like she had in the beginning of working there, but for another reason entirely. Before, she was looking forward to working with her best friend. Now, she’s just hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful woman who works across the street, but it brightens her day in seconds.

One Saturday, as Hitoka works, something hits her.

“Ah, fu- I mean,” Hitoka starts to curse, but a customer with a kid turns their glare to her and she clams up. “...shit.”

It’s not what she  _ means _ to say, but it’s better than the f-bomb she was about to drop, and the customer seems satisfied with that and continues eating. Hitoka lets out a breath of relief.

“What’s wrong?” Shouyou questions her, messing with the drink machine. it refuses to give him ice, no matter how many times he pressed the cup on the lever. He pouts and Hitoka watches him, amused.

“I just remembered it’s Rin’s birthday tomorrow.”

“Rin from your volleyball team?”

Hitoka nods. “I haven’t gotten anything for her birthday.”

Shouyou grins as if he has a mischievous plan cooked up. “Just get her some flowers from across the street. You can meet Kiyoko, ask for her number, and get Rin’s present! Two birds, one stone!”

He presses the cup on the ice lever another time- too quickly for any ice to actually come out. Hitoka grabs his hand and holds it in place. The machine whirls to life and finally, ice piles into cup. Shouyou mutters his thanks, to which Hitoka nods.

“Maybe I will,” she says. The thought makes her heart pound with nerves and anticipation, but it was the only thing she could think of- or, that Shouyou thought of- unless she wanted to show up to practice the next morning, gift-less and seeming like a bad friend.

Shouyou grins wider, but only mutters a ‘see ya’ as the last of his drinks are filled, taking off to complete his task. Hitoka does likewise, and uses that time to think  _ what the hell is she signing herself up for. _

After work- at eight that night- thankfully,  _ Beauty In Petals _ is still open. Hitoka had never thought to check the times, but when she crosses the street, jacket in hand and heart racing, she’s relieved to see the hours log stating it closes at nine. Hitoka takes a deep breath in to calm her nerves- as if- and opens the door inside.

The door makes a cute ringing sound as she walks in, and the shop around her smells of fresh flowers and dirt. It’s a nicer smell than she thought it would be- not overwhelming, but not underwhelming. Flower pots line the shelves and some flowers, it seems, are already cut- stored in plastic buckets of what looks like water. Hitoka can’t help but admire the small, cute shop, looking around excitedly. She had never really been  _ into _ flowers before, but they were all so  _ pretty _ .

A voice cuts into the silence and startles Hitoka into a blushing mess again.

“Are you looking for something in particular?”

Hitoka squeals, her face reverting to its original form- the red tomato. She looks up and  _ oh _ , yeah, Shimizu’s eyes are alluring up close.  _ Fuck _ , her knees were going to give out. Now that she’s closer, she can tell the woman has a beauty mark just under her lip, and her eyes are a beautiful brown. 

Hitoka wants to die.

She comes closer to grab a hold of the counter so she doesn’t fall and smiles politely, but inside, she’s freaking out and she’s pretty sure her hands are shaking.

“I, um, well,” Hitoka begins, ever the conversationalist. “I was looking for a bouquet for my friend’s birthday..”

Shimizu hums in acknowledgement. “Ah. Anything in mind for it?”

“Uh, no, not really… I’m not good with flowers.”

Shimizu smiles and Hitoka feels like sighing- she’s so beautiful, she might actually just start crying here and now. “Do you mind if I take over? If you don’t like it, you can choose your own flowers.”

Hitoka nods, a little too fast, but she can’t help it. “Sure! I mean, uhm. Yeah, go ahead.”

Immediately, Shimizu gets to work, making her way to the line of flowers and plucking a few out of the buckets, looking immensely concentrated. She considers some of the flowers in her hands before putting a few purple ones back. Hitoka watches her as she works.

When Shimizu comes back, she has a beautiful bouquet in hand- filled with red and white flowers, and purple ones scattered around it.

“What do you think?”

Hitoka thinks it’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen.

Hitoka thinks  _ Shimizu _ is the more beautiful person she’s ever seen.

“I love it!” Hitoka finally answers. Shimizu smiles softly at her and  _ holy _ fuck, she’s going to die, die,  _ die _ -

“I’m glad.”

Shimizu rings her up and gives her a discount- ‘because of the shop just opening’, she reasons. Hitoka can’t stop smiling, even when she gets home and puts the flowers in a vase full of water for the night. She falls asleep still hours later, nerves and excitement getting to her.

It only occurs to her in the morning that she forgot to get Shimizu’s number.

\---

For the next few months, everyone- including Shouyou- received a bouquet of flowers for their birthday, special event, et cetera. Shouyou likes to tease her about it, because bouquets don’t come cheap, but Hitoka is really just glad she only has three really good friends to get presents for in that time. She endures the teasing until Shouyou brings Kageyama into it- only, now he calls Kageyama ‘Tobio’. Hitoka has started to tease him back.

With each visit, Shimizu and Hitoka become friendlier and friendlier. And yet, with each visit, Hitoka still forgets to ask for Shimizu’s number.

“Awe, come on, Yachi!” Shouyou had exclaimed after her recent try-and-fail, flopping on her bed as Hitoka buries her face in her hands, face red yet again. “This is the fourth time!”

“I know!” She had groaned back. “But I can’t help it, she’s just.  _ So. Pretty _ .”

At the same time, work starts to become more and more difficult- the old manager, Ukai, retires and Iwaizumi rises to manager position. New Assistant Manager is a bit meaner than Iwaizumi- Iwaizumi didn’t care what you did, as long as you were able to keep work moving without any complaints he had to deal with. New, Meaner Iwaizumi- as Shouyou calls him- likes to pick on everything Hitoka does, and gets worse as time goes by. Going to work gets harder and not crying gets equally hard. Shouyou thinks she should report it- Hitoka wants to quit. She stays to see Shimizu and hang out with Shouyou.

One day, after a particularly hard day of work, being hounded on by New, Meaner Iwaizumi- she finally learns his name is actually Nakamura, but she’d rather call him by her name for him-, Hitoka finds herself in front of the flower shop once more. Shouyou’s gone home for the night- he visits his family in the morning for the week, which means she won’t even have someone to bear Nakamura with tomorrow.

This time, she doesn’t have an excuse to be seeing Shimizu. No birthdays, no special events. Just a Tuesday night.

She still goes inside.

Shimizu greets her with a kind smile- one that has Hitoka’s heart pounding. She must notice Hitoka’s tired eyes and twitching fingers, because she frowns in concern.

“Rough day?” Shimizu asks. Hitoka shrugs, trying to use up some of her nervous energy by playing around with her jacket’s zipper. She tries to keep the nervous jolting to a minimum.

“You could say that,” Hitoka mutters. She makes her way to the counter, stopping just in front of it. Shimizu leans against it, getting closer to Hitoka than she thought she would. It makes her heart run faster.

Shimizu smiles apologetically- the concern in her eyes makes Hitoka melt. “I’m sorry to hear that. Do you…”

She frowns and crinkles up her nose in a way that’s so cute, Hitoka  _ could _ die. She’ll just drop dead here, right in the middle of the flower shop. Maybe Shimizu wouldn’t mind- no, she wouldn’t want a corpse in the middle of her floor. That’d be bad for business.

Shimizu is still frowning as if trying to grasp at what to say. It occurs to Hitoka what she’s trying to ask, and her cheeks warm up considerably.

“Oh, uh, no, I don’t want to burden you with that,” Hitoka replies. 

“I don’t mind, but if you’re sure… What are you looking for today?”

_ I came here to talk to you, _ Hitoka thinks.  _ I came here to be around you and feel better instead of how shitty I feel by myself. _

“I’m just looking today,” Hitoka decides to say instead. The lie feels weird on her tongue, but Hitoka can’t work up the courage to tell her the truth. Because with the truth, she’ll have to tell her all of it. “I was thinking about getting a flower or something- for my kitchen counter.”

Shimizu hums. “Sounds nice. Let me know if you want help choosing one- but the best ones are in that corner just over there.”

She points to the left corner of the store, and she’s right. They are  _ very _ pretty.

“Thanks.”

Shimizu starts to walk towards the back, and Hitoka jolts with the realization that she doesn’t want her to leave. She speaks without meaning to.

“Actually, do you think you could help me? I don’t know much about flowers, and I don’t want to pick out the first pretty one I see, you know?”

Hitoka curses her quick mouth and Shimizu just smiles.

“Of course,” she says, walking around the counter to her side. Hitoka’s heart is bursting- Shimizu comes to a stop right beside her, close enough for Hitoka’s sole focus to be on her arm, where she can feel Shimizu’s body heat against it. Fuck, she sounds creepy, even in her own head. “Though, I do have to warn you- I don’t know the meaning of any of the flowers.”

Hitoka raises a curious eyebrow. “But you’re a florist?” 

“Doesn’t mean I know the meanings of the flowers,” she replies. Shimizu looks closely at some of the flowers- they’re all different colors and really pretty, but Hitoka would never be able to remember which is which. “I just pick what colors look good together and style it so it looks pretty.”

“Oh.”

Shimizu laughs. 

“Don’t feel bad- a lot of people assume that all the time,” Shimizu assures her, but Hitoka still feels heat crawling up her neck. 

Shimizu points out different flowers, remarking which ones look prettiest in what kind of situation, but Hitoka only has eyes for her. She listens as Shimizu talks, and her emotions steadily take a step back, allowing her to breathe a little more. Shimizu’s voice fills in what would have been silence, and it’s nice. Hitoka doesn’t think.

She ends up buying a yellow flower- an amaryllis, according to Shimizu. It’s pretty and happy looking, and when Shimizu hands it to her, she feels like keeping it forever.

“Thank you,” Hitoka says to her as she nears the door, and Shimizu waves.

“Of course,” she replies. Hitoka places a hand on the door, ready to exit the shop, when Shimizu’s voice stops her. “Do you mind if I ask your name?”

Hitoka must look confused, because Shimizu rushes to explain. “You come in here so often, I think it would be beneficial to know a frequent customer’s name.”

“Oh! Um, Yachi Hitoka! That’s… my name…”

“Yachi Hitoka,” Shimizu tries out and Hitoka is going to die. “I hope to see you again.”

“You too,” Hitoka says, dazed. “I mean- I hope to see you again, too.”

Shimizu smiles and Hitoka almost sprints out of the shop.

\---

They do, in fact, see each other again soon.

Work continues to get harder and harder, and Hitoka continues to visit  _ Beauty In Petals _ . The two talk mostly, slowly moving on from flowers to more normal conversations, like work, Hitoka’s volleyball teammates, Shimizu’s friends, and the like. Hitoka now has a spot behind the counter to sit while Shimizu works, away from the counter and from disturbing the workflow. Hardly anyone comes in, at first, but Hitoka starts to come to the shop on days off from work, too. It’s different to see the shop so busy- or, busier. It’s a flower shop, and while it’s cute and homey, no one comes to flower shops often.

Hitoka has the slightest suspicion Shimizu just likes to have company behind the counter.

You would think that, after all of this time, Hitoka would have gotten comfortable around Shimizu. You would think that, after all this time, Hitoka would have gotten her number.

She still hasn’t. Shouyou practically yells at her everytime he sees her.

It’s not until  _ Kageyama _ drops by their apartment one day to give her a ‘pep talk’.

“Shouyou!” Hinata hisses, grabbing his arm and dragging him around the corner. Shouyou whines in response and Kageyama shifts awkwardly on the couch, but says nothing. He sits in the apartment living room on a couch too small for him- both Hitoka and Shouyou are relatively short, and the couch had been cheaper. Hitoka feels bad because she’s a hundred percent sure this is all Shouyou’s doing, getting Kageyama to come here, but she’s too annoyed to actually apologize for his sake at that moment. “What are you doing!”

“You need a pep talk! You’ve been around her for how long without getting her number?!” Shouyou complains. “Besides, Tobio-”

The words ‘ _ pep’  _ and  _ ‘talk’ _ rub Hitoka the wrong way.

“First of all, it’s only been three months,” Hitoka hisses, without venom, but trying to keep quiet. Shouyou raises an eyebrow. “Okay more like six, but-”

“Hitoka!”

“That doesn’t mean you have to forcibly drag your  _ boyfriend _ to give me a pep talk that I don’t even want!”

“I didn’t forcibly drag him, and you do too want it, you just don’t know it!” Shouyou argues. A second later, he adds, “And he’s not my boyfriend!”

“Well, you can’t get mad at me then, either! At least I admit I like her!”

Shouyou pouts- but it’s not a teasing pout. It’s not the pout Hitoka’s used to. It’s annoyed. Hinata Shouyou doesn’t usually get annoyed with her.

“This isn’t about me, it’s about you!”

“I’m just fine! To prove it,” Hitoka grabs her apartment keys and her wallet, “I’ll even go get her number now.  _ Without _ Kageyama’s pep talk.”

“Really?” asks Shouyou dubiously.

“Really,” Hitoka replies with more confidence than she feels. 

Kageyama looks like he wants to die. Or escape from of one of the windows. Hitoka can’t blame him.

“Alright,” Shouyou says after a moment. “I just know you get really nervous, and I wanted to help, and Kageyama can have sudden bursts of wisdom so I thought-”

Hitoka pulls Shouyou into a hug. It’s awkward- she may have grown a little since high school, but Shouyou’s grown more. The atmosphere around them doesn’t help either, but Hitoka wonders if some of it is radiating off of Kageyama, because she doesn’t remember the last time a hug has been this awkward between them.

“Thank you, Shouyou,” Hitoka whispers, because he’s her best friend.

Shouyou squeezes her in response, because she’s  _ his _ best friend too. “I didn’t do anything. You’re still going to go ask for her number, though, right?”

The thought makes her nervous- could she fake it maybe?- but she nods, which is a little hard with her chin just barely being able to reach his shoulder. Her breath is a little shaky. “Yeah.”

They hold on a little longer.

“Go talk to him,” Hitoka says quietly as they pull away, gesturing vaguely in Kageyama’s direction. “Don’t make me talk to my crush alone.”

Using the word ‘crush’ makes her feel like a high schooler again, but Shouyou doesn’t seem to share the same sentiments. He doesn’t even have the decency to flush. It’s kind of aggravating, but endearing. Instead, he tilts his head.

“It’s… not like that,” Shouyou shakes his head. He steals a look at Kageyama. “Is it?”

Hitoka punches his shoulder lightly. “Yeah, it is. Go talk to him.”

“Go get your own crush’s number first. I’ll see you later.”

Hitoka’s heart thumps painfully and breathing is..  _ difficult _ , but she nods. Hitoka leaves after her goodbyes, and that’s how she finds herself nervously pacing outside of  _ Beauty In Petals _ , talking a mile a minute under her breath to calm herself down.

It’s two in the afternoon- the shop is open, and from the window, Hitoka can make out Shimizu helping a customer by the counter. She hasn’t notice Hitoka yet, thankfully. Customers pass her by- eyeing her briefly, but minding their own business. Hitoka 

Hitoka runs a hand through her hair nervously, closing her eyes and muttering ‘ _ you’ve got this, you’ve got this _ ’ under her breath. No matter how many times she says it, it doesn’t help her thumping heart or her shaking hands.

She’s got this.

She can do this.

Fuck.

Summoning as much courage as she can, Hitoka finally, finally puts her hand on the door handle, but the courage can’t make her open the door. She freezes, heart pounding, staring at her hand.

“Fuck,” Hitoka whispers quietly.

The door knob twists on its own and Hitoka jumps back just as someone- the customer Shimizu had been working with- exits the building. They nod at her, to which Hitoka nods back, and hold the door open for her. She has no choice but to go in, which she does hurriedly. Hitoka just might collapse to her knees, but it’s fine. It’s all fine. 

Hopefully.

“Yachi,” Shimizu says pleasantly from behind the counter. She has on an apron with a big, elaborated flower embroidered on the front near the top. Staring at the flower instead of Shimizu’s eyes can help her get over her nerves, sometimes, but now Hitoka is too aware of  _ where _ the flower is. Why now, of all times? “How are you?”

“Fine,” Hitoka says- her voice an octave higher than it should have been. “How about you?”

Shimizu’s smile is blinding, even as she moves things around behind the counter. “I’m doing well, thank you. What are you here for? A birthday, a special event…”

Hitoka’s heart won’t stop racing. “Just to talk, actually. I uh! I wanted to ask you something. You know, while I was here.”

“Yes?” Shimizu stops in her busy work to pay her full attention to Hitoka, and Hitoka’s heart can’t take it.

“I, uh-” Hitoka swallows down her nerves as best she can.  _ Go get her _ , says a voice that sounds suspiciously like Shouyou’s in her head, and Hitoka blurts it out at top speed. “Iwnantoseeifwecudexshangenumbers.”

Shimizu looks- ultimately- shocked. And confused. Hitoka wonders if that’s due to the question or how the question was said. The woman in front of her places her hands on the counter, like she’s steadying herself, or trying to listen closer. “I apologize, Yachi, but what was that? I didn’t quite understand you-”

“I wanted to know if you wanted to exchange numbers.”

Hitoka doesn’t mean to be rude by interrupting her-  _ definitely _ not. The words explode out of her like rockets or fireworks- except Hitoka’s unsure of the effect they will leave behind.

Hitoka almost doesn’t watch Shimizu’s expression. She’s scared-  _ terrified _ \- that it’ll be full of disgust. Or confusion, again. She’s scared it’ll be painful, and she’s not really sure she can deal with painful.

Of course, there’s the third of a chance Shimizu won’t get the implications of her request- but Shimizu is smart. Hitoka knows this- she’s talked to her, she’s shared thoughts with her, and she’s seen Shimizu pick up on things- things left unsaid, emotions behind words, actions. Hitoka hopes- god, does she hope- that Shimizu doesn’t pick up on the implications, or maybe-  _ maybe _ \- won’t be disgusted if she does.

Hitoka waits. Despite herself, she does end up looking. Shimizu’s face softens, and she smiles. Hitoka may have to get her eyes checked to make sure they’re working properly after this.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Shimizu says- almost like she’s reassuring Hitoka’s nerves, like she knows they’re there- and grabs the pen and pad she keeps for notes. She scribbles something down on it, rips it off the pad, and hands it to Hitoka. She gleams. “Now we don’t have to only talk in here.”

Hitoka- shaking now, great- takes the paper from Shimizu’s hands and reads it:

 

_ Shimizu Kiyoko’s number: _

_ 454-567-0034 _

_ :) _

 

Hitoka nearly keels over.

“Great,” she manages to squeak out.

Holy fuck.

\---

Shimizu and Hitoka talk everyday over text. In between classes, work, volleyball practice. Whenever Hitoka has time, she shoots out a text to Shimizu, and always gets a reply only a few minutes later.

In the beginning, Hitoka worries if that considers being clingy. They aren’t, like,  _ together _ or anything, but a clingy friend is still a thing, right? It isn’t until after Shouyou points out that Shimizu is texting her back just as much for her to calm down about it. She can’t help it. The whole thing, it’s- it’s  _ exciting _ .

In the process, Hitoka learns some of Kiyoko’s schedule. She can’t text her on Thursdays in the afternoon, because Kiyoko always takes off on Thursdays to meet up with her old friends from high school, and she can’t text her from 10-10:30 at night, because that’s when Kiyoko drives home after work. Hitoka has also noticed that Kiyoko is learning  _ hers _ , because she’s started to get less and less texts during her classes, and the thought makes Hitoka feel warm inside.

The only thing that could dampen her spirits was work.

Nakamura grows more difficult by the day- Hitoka’s not even sure at this point if it’s Nakamura’s personality, or if he just isn’t a fan of her, but he still nitpicks at everything she does. It’s frustrating and humiliating and all Hitoka wants to do is yell. Or cry. Either at Nakamura, or in the privacy of her own room- she’s not sure. 

After a particularly long day- she gets criticized for how she  _ sets tables _ -, Hitoka doesn’t even drop by the flower shop. She’s too tired, too upset, and too on edge to enjoy time with Shimizu, and she doesn’t want Shimizu to see her like this either. She collapses on her bed when she reaches the apartment and drops an arm over her eyes. Hitoka sits there for a long, long moment- battling anger and tears all the while- before soft, padded footsteps approach her room. She doesn’t look up.

“If he’s bothering you this much, you should say something,” Shouyou says rather quietly, for him. She doesn’t have to look at him to know he’s pulling that pouting, angry face he so often does. She doesn’t have to hear his thoughts to know he’s not entirely sure why she doesn’t say something in the first place. “It’s not going to get better unless you do.”

Hitoka sighs and presses her arm down on her face as if it’ll ease her growing headache. “I know, I know. I just- I’m hoping maybe he’ll lay off and get tired of picking on me at some point so I don’t have to quit or talk to anyone about it.” She does peek from under her arm now to look at Shouyou, and his orange hair has been messed with in the past ten or something minutes since she last saw him. “I like working there, and I don’t want it to be ruined.”

“Yachi, it  _ is _ getting ruined already. Talking to Iwaizumi would help."

_ I don’t want to talk to him _ , Hitoka thinks to herself.  _ I don’t want to make problems for him _ .

Instead, she says, “Fine. I’ll think about it.”

She lowers her arm again and she can hear Shouyou huff in annoyance, but Hitoka just wants to be left alone at the moment. They sit there a moment longer, and Hitoka can hear him opening his mouth to say something else, but her phone buzzes. Then it buzzes again.

Grateful for something that isn’t her best-friend-slash-roommate at the moment, Hitoka reaches over and checks her texts.

 

_ shimizu kiyoko <3 _

hey, you didn’t stop by today, so i thought i’d text you

_ shimizu kiyoko <3 _

everything okay?

 

Hitoka smiles at her phone, anger and nerves slowly ebbing away, but they’re still there. She presses her thumb to the home button to open her phone and then types back a quick reply.

_ yayayachi _

i’m ok, just stuff @ work

_ yayayachi _

will be coming by tmw tho

 

“Is that lover girl?” Shouyou asks. He’s still standing at the door, and Hitoka’s not really sure why he hasn’t come in yet. He seems… nervous. Quieter than normal too. Nakamura gets on to him, too, so Hitoka imagines he would want to go back to his room and scream a little- maybe call up Kageyama or something. She doesn’t know, really.

Hitoka nods in response and that’s when Shouyou comes in and sits on her bed next to her, peeking at her texts. She hides them.

“Don’t look at that,” she chides him jokingly. Shouyou reaches out and takes her phone in response, and Hitoka lets out a yelp. “Give that back!”

Despite the fact that they’re both short, Shouyou is still taller than her, and his athletic skills are better and faster. He rolls over and smacks her hands away as she tries to grab her phone back, and scrolls through texts, upon texts, upon texts. He giggles- because Shouyou is a giggler- and makes comments while Hitoka wails, her cheeks red with embarrassment and her anger ebbs away even more.

Her phone buzzes again while Shouyou’s scrolling, and Hitoka knows Shimizu has texted back. She lets out a small noise of distress and Shouyou just giggles.

“Shouyouuu,” she draws out, reaching over him for her phone back. “Give me back my phoneeee.”

“But I’m reading,” Shouyou giggles. He scrolls a little more while Hitoka wails into his back, and then snickers as he passes it back to her. “Yachi, you’re whipped.”

Hitoka’s cheeks are so  _ hot _ . “Shut up,” she says weakly. “Like you can talk!”

She takes her phone back and checks Shimizu’s latest message, except there isn’t one, because the text was from someone else- her volleyball coach canceling her practice tomorrow. She stares at it, and then stares at her chat with Shimizu, and turns her phone off.

“You look so disappointed, Hitoka!” Shouyou laughs. Hitoka pouts.

“I said shut up.”

Her phone buzzes, and her head whips around so fast, she could break her neck at that speed. Shouyou laughs so hard he actually falls off of the bed and Hitoka ignores him in favor of checking her texts.

 

_ shimizu kiyoko <3 _

can’t wait!

 

Hitoka’s heart bursts then. When he sees her face, Shouyou giggles harder. Her phone buzzes again before she replies.

_    shimizu kiyoko  <3 _

what’s wrong at work?

 

_    yayayachi _

just the assistant manager. he keeps…

_ yayayachi _

picking on me, i guess? it’s annoying, but i’m ok

 

_ shimizu kiyoko <3 _

aw, i’m sorry :(( i hope it gets better

_    shimizu kiyoko  <3 _

hey, also, do you want to… hang out outside of the flower shop?

_ shimizu kiyoko <3 _

maybe at a park or coffee shop? someplace similar?

 

The phone slips through Hitoka’s fingers and drops to her bed with a small, barely audible thud. Her face is red- _so_ _red_ \- and she feels so warm. She lowers herself over her knees until her body is held in a fetus position and her face is buried in her sheets. Shouyou finally stops laughing to check what’s going on.

“What happened?” He asks, but Hitoka doesn’t answer. Her bedsheets smell like laundry detergent and it’s kind of hard to breathe, but she keeps herself in the same position. She feels the movements in the bed as Shouyou leans over to grab her phone and look at the texts. She doesn’t stop him. He doesn’t say anything for a long, long moment, and when he does, it’s a small, “ _ oh _ .”

Hitoka screams into her bed sheets and Shouyou falls off the bed again.

\---

Pink has always been Yachi Hitoka’s special color- or yellow, any pale or pastel color, really- but pink is the color she wears when she needs luck. It’s basic, but it gives her comfort, because she likes the softness of pink. So when Shimizu asks if she wants to meet for coffee, she pulls on a tan-ish pink shirt decorated with flowers and a pair of jean shorts, and fusses in the mirror.

“I think this looks weird,” Hitoka says for the sixth time to Shouyou, who was only pulled into this around the third time. He looks lost, just like Hitoka feels. “Too much… just…,” she gestures up and down, and starts to panic, “bleh. I don’t know, it just seems weird and oh god, Shouyou, I’m nervous!”

She must look like she’s about to puke- she feels like it, at least- because Shouyou’s eyes widen.

“Calm down, calm down!” Shouyou says, but he’s also panicking, and it does nothing. “You look great!”

“It looks weird!”

“It does not! You’re just nervous!”

Hitoka lets out a strangled noise and pulls at her hair. She feels like throwing up, a little, and her heart feels like it’s dropping in her chest, leaving behind a burning sensation that makes her stomach feel even  _ more _ nauseous. Shouyou looks torn between backing away incase she does vomit, and coming closer to give her a hug. She hopes he doesn’t come closer.

“Maybe I should tell Shimizu that I’m not feeling well enough-”

“It’ll be fine, Hitoka,” Shouyou assures her, using her name for emphasis. His eyes watch her carefully. Hitoka focuses on her breathing. “Go and have fun. Don’t worry about what you look like- she’s seen you after in your work clothes after rush hour.”

Hitoka lets out a laugh at that, and her chest is easing a little. It feels bigger now, and she takes in a deep breath like it’s the first time in months (which isn’t possible, because she would be dead by now).  _ Fuck _ , fuck, fuck.

“Yeah,” Hitoka agrees, and looks herself over once more in the mirror. Really, it’s a cute outfit, but her vision tunnels on certain parts she isn’t sure about- which happens to be her entire face, unfortunately, but Hitoka can’t do fancy makeup to fix it. She’s nervous already about the small amount of mascara and lip gloss she put on, so Hitoka’s not really interested in trying it on, either.

Finally, after another breath and a last glance in the mirror, she turns away. “Alright. I’m going to do it.”

Shouyou cheers like a kid and Hitoka finds herself giggling and then ushered out the door. Shouyou shoves her keys, phone, and wallet into her hands and practically shoves her out of the apartment.

“Go get her!” Shouyou shouts, and then the door shuts, and Hitoka is left staring at her apartment door blankly, standing in the middle of the hallway like an idiot.

“Wait! Shouyou, I need my jacket!”

\---

When Hitoka gets to the the meeting place- an ice cream shop, actually- Shimizu Kiyoko is already there, pushing her hair behind her ear delicately and checking her phone with little interest at one of the booths inside. She looks beautiful, as always, and Hitoka’s nerves have gotten to the point she feels incredibly shaky. They’re hanging out. At an ice cream shop. Just the two of them.

How, Hitoka wonders in a daze, did she end up here?

She greets Shimizu with a smile and a timid ‘ _ hey there _ ’- Shimizu actually stands up and hugs her in greeting, which makes Hitoka’s face burn red and her breath hitch. They talk for a quick moment- exchanging pleasantries and sharing their overall weeks- before Shimizu suggests they grab some ice cream and continue the chat after. Hitoka’s heart leaps when Shimizu grabs her wrist and pulls her inside almost excitedly.

“They’ve got great flavors here,” Shimizu tells her, smiling almost shyly as they get in line.

Hitoka’s never been to this particular shop- there’s one closer to her apartment, but this one, Shimizu says, is the best ice cream shop to ever exist and it’s conveniently placed in between their homes, so it’s a win-win. The layout is cute- red booths lined up along one wall, white tiled floors, and a case filled with different kinds of ice cream. Shimizu lists the different flavors from memory while Hitoka watches on excitedly, and when it’s their turn, Shimizu orders a waffle cone with Burnt Almond Fudge Ice cream and Hitoka gets the same, but with Superman flavor.

“What’s  _ in _ the Superman flavor?” Shimizu had asked curiously. “I’ve seen it a bunch of times, but never knew what it was.”

“It’s a bunch of flavors mixed together. Red, yellow, and blue for Superman’s colors,” Hitoka had replied, taking a lick of her ice cream. “Also, it looks a little like play-doh and it’s satisfying to eat.”

Shimizu laughs at that and it warms Hitoka’s heart and cheeks. She’s going to be permanently red after this, she just knows it. It’s fine though- it’s all fine- because she’s with Shimizu, eating ice cream and having fun. 

She’s hanging out with Shimizu- oh god, she’s hanging out with Shimizu.  _ Shimizu Kiyoko _ . Hitoka squeaks a little and shoves her ice cream into her mouth as Shimizu starts to say something, missing her mouth entirely and hitting her nose. Shimizu blinks, mouth still open from whatever she was going to say, and then laughs again- it’s a relaxed and comforting sound. Hitoka’s pretty sure she hears her snort at some point, and Hitoka’s always thought of snorting as weird (Shouyou always snorts, though), but Shimizu makes it sound  _ funny _ . Cute, even.

God, it’s great.

After they finish their ice cream, Shimizu offers up a park not far from there for them to walk around- to talk more and get to know each other. Hitoka takes her up on it a  _ little _ too quickly for her taste, but if Shimizu notices, she doesn’t hint at it. Instead, she smiles and takes Hitoka’s wrist, leading her there hurriedly, and Hitoka is  _ dying _ . 

They get launched into talking about the flower shop after they pass by a bunch of pretty looking white flowers- Shimizu says they’re Camilla flowers. Shimizu talks about different customers who come in on a daily basis- about different shipments that are coming in and the like- and their hands brush against each other slight enough that Hitoka’s heart makes a particularly painful jump. Shimizu’s hand brushes her hand again- just a little longer in a way Hitoka’s almost  _ sure _ isn’t by accident. It gets Hitoka thinking, but she’s not sure how to ask in a way that won’t send Shimizu running.

“Say,” Hitoka begins after a discussion of one of Shimizu’s more difficult customers. “Shimizu-”

“You can call me by Kiyoko, you know.”

_ Shit _ , she’s kind of light headed now. That’s not good, right? She should not be light headed. 

“Kiyoko,” Hitoka corrects herself, focusing on staying upright that she nearly forgets what she had just worked up the courage to ask. “Is this… is this a date, by any chance?”

Oh, god, her heart is pounding in her chest so loudly, it might burst open. Shimi- Kiyoko seems to ponder this for a second. She smiles at Hitoka and shrugs. “If you want it to be… I was kind of hoping for it to be.”

Kiyoko’s hand brushes up against hers once more as Hitoka’s face rises in temperature, and this time, Kiyoko intertwines their fingers almost hesitantly. Hitoka lets her, but can’t seem to look her in the eye anymore, too overwhelmed. They continue to talk, moving on to school and other things. The park is beautiful. Hitoka should come back when she can actually focus on it, instead of the fact she can feel Kiyoko’s body heat next to her, or the way Kiyoko’s fingers feel entwined with hers.

It’s a date to remember.

\---

It’s remarkable what something can do for your confidence levels.

A week or so after their date, Hitoka was still hanging out at  _ Beauty In Petals _ with Kiyoko- god, even saying her name in her head makes Hitoka want to scream- and work is… still a lot. Maybe she’s growing immune to it, or maybe being Kiyoko has expended all of her anxiety already, but Hitoka feels like she’s growing immune to Nakamura‘s antics. She no longer feels like crying when confronted with him- well, mostly, anyway. She still gets frustrated and angry, but she can brush it off now.

In retrospect, she’s improving. Before Kiyoko, Hitoka would have quit long ago.

The Tuesday of that week, Hitoka stops by to see Kiyoko after work, twirling her keys around her finger as something to do while Kiyoko moves around the shop, helping customers and taking note of inventory. Hitoka’s tried asking time after time if Kiyoko ever wanted help- most of the time, Kiyoko says no. Like tonight. 

Hitoka’s tired- yawning widely and eyes drooping because of a paper she had stayed up to two in the morning trying to write- and Kiyoko’s already asked her if she wants to go home and sleep twice now.

“I’m fine,” Hitoka insists after Kiyoko tries to ask for the third time. “Just a little tired, is all. It’s been a long day. Besides,” her cheeks redden, “I kind of was hoping we could take a walk or something after you close up? Just.. hang out?”

Kiyoko’s cheeks go red, too- something Hitoka is starting to see now, apparently. She smiles at Hitoka and nods, turning back to a pot of yellow flowers. “I’d like that,” she says quietly. Hitoka grins.

“Great.”

It’s thirty minutes later that Kiyoko finally closes the store, but they don’t leave for another twenty, and Hitoka’s growing more nervous by the minute. By the time Kiyoko has locked up, Hitoka’s resorted to bouncing on her heels to get rid of nervous energy that’s been building up. Kiyoko gives her a concerned, questioning look, but Hitoka smiles brightly to cover up her nerves. It’s easier, now, than it had been ever before. They walk side by side on the side walk in the direction, Hitoka realizes belatedly, of the park.

Hitoka thinks about the park a lot. Maybe that’s how she finds her fingers entwining with Kiyoko’s again.

“So how was work?” Kiyoko asks, breaking the peaceful silence that had surrounded them. Hitoka shrugs. 

That day hadn’t actually been bad- Nakamura had been too busy in the back to make as many remarks to her- but that didn’t seem to stop him from saying anything at all. He made comments everytime she passed him to the point where she started asking other people to grab something for her.

“Not bad,” Hitoka finally ends up replying. “Just Nakamura again, but it’s fine. He just made a few comments. How about you? How were customers today?”

“They were fine,” Kiyoko answers. When Hitoka looks over, Kiyoko’s eyebrows are furrowed. “What kind of comments did Nakamura make this time?”

Hitoka doesn’t meet her eyes. “You know, the usual.”

Silence settles again, only allowing for the soft sound of their footsteps against the concrete. It’s almost tense, but Hitoka finds reassurance in Kiyoko’s fingers entwined with hers. Every once and awhile, Kiyoko will open her mouth like she wants to say something, but she’ll close it just as fast without a sound.

Finally, she says, “You should say something about this.”

And somehow, Hitoka knows she was going to say this. She lets out a great sigh and squeezes Kiyoko’s hand. She has to crane her neck a little- Kiyoko is so tall compared to her- but it’s not intimidating. Kiyoko has kind eyes that make her melt. They tell her things sometimes- how Kiyoko’s feeling, what kind of person she is. Now they seem to be trying to convince her of Kiyoko’s words.

It occurs to Hitoka as they enter the park that it might actually be working.

Kiyoko gives Hitoka a courage she’s not used to having. Kiyoko makes Hitoka want to  _ do _ things. As if her nerves have already been expended, as if she just can’t give as many fucks anymore.

It’s riveting, in a way. It’s also kind of scary how much power that gives to Kiyoko over Hitoka.

“I know,” Hitoka says quietly. She doesn’t fight it, she knows she should.

“But will you?”

_ But will you? _

Would she?

Kiyoko’s eyes meet hers and Hitoka feels drawn in. She feels like her veins have been charged with something- something powerful. She feels if Kiyoko keeps looking at her like that, she could do anything.

“I will,” Hitoka promises. 

And she’ll make sure she does. But right now, with that spark in her veins, Hitoka feels like daring. She tugs Kiyoko to a stop and pushes herself onto the tips of her toes, getting closer and closer to Kiyoko’s face. Kiyoko’s breath hitches- Hitoka hears it, and it makes her pause.

“Can I kiss you?” Hitoka whispers. They’re behind a tree- a cherry blossom tree, she thinks- and the sun is setting, casting shadows over them. Kiyoko’s eyes still haven’t left hers.

“Yes,” Kiyoko whispers back, and touches their lips together.

Hitoka will never be able to forget the feeling of their lips pressed together, or the way Kiyoko’s hands feel as they thread their way through Hitoka’s hair. She hopes she’ll never have to.

**Author's Note:**

> i realized after i posted yesterday that the new manager had no name fnodsufhos so here you are, all edited. enjoy!


End file.
